If a team is coming off two road victories and previously has taken Oklahoma City and San Antonio to the wire on the road, confidence becomes critical when visiting a team like Miami.

It might not be ideal to face the two-time defending champs in the third road game in four nights, but the Suns show unwavering resolve to shock anyone, including the Heat, just like their 7-6 record has after Sunday night’s 104-96 win at Orlando.

“Now that we’ve got two, why not try to get three?” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Our guys are getting the hang of it. They know what it takes to win. They’re playing hard. We’ve played good defensively all year. If we can get the offense going, where we’re passing the ball and making the little reads, we can be pretty decent.”

The Heat (10-3) have been resting since beating the same Orlando team Friday night at home for their sixth consecutive win. The only team with a current winning record that the Suns have beaten this season is Portland, which has gone 12-1 since their opening-night loss in Phoenix.

“Can’t wait,” Suns shooting guard Gerald Green said of Monday night’s game. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re all excited. Everybody is pumped up about it. We got two wins on the road, and we feel good about ourselves. Tip our hats to Miami. They’re a great team, but we’re not going to go in there like they’re any type of celebrities. We’re here to win a basketball game. We respect the fact they’re the champions.”

It is hard to deny the Suns a chance against any team because their effort has been there regularly. It is the one thing that gets noted most by scouts who comes to watch them play. But Miami is the top shooting and passing team in the league.

“It’s not pressure on us because they’re the world champion,” Suns point guard Goran Dragic said. “They have a great team with superstars. We just have to bring our energy and become competitive.”

No Bledsoe againSuns point guard Eric Bledsoe missed his fourth consecutive game due to a bruised left shin.

As he has with previous games, Bledsoe took to the court before the game just to see if he could go through warm-ups. It was a short visit before he returned to the locker room for treatment. Bledsoe watched the first half from the Suns bench but was in the training room for treatment during the second half.

“It wouldn’t budge,” Bledsoe said. “I was trying. I guess it just needs more rest.

“Don’t nobody know your body like you know it. I know that if I get out there and try to play, there’s a good chance that I’m going to hurt my team more than not. It’s just strained, that’s what it feels like. There are some days you just have to fall back off of it when you’re trying to come back from an injury. This is one of those days.”